ATL Standard

The Atlanta Hawks and the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks will play two preseason games at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. 

In a release earlier this month, Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said the NBA continues to do an amazing job of growing the game internationally, stating that they are thrilled to be able to participate in the first NBA Abu Dhabi Games.

“As we look toward the future of the Hawks brand, being recognized as a premier NBA franchise globally is something we aspire to, and we believe the experience for our players and staff to take in the culture in Abu Dhabi will be both incredibly memorable and impactful,” Koonin said in the release.

The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 will be shown live in the UAE and throughout the Middle East and North Africa on The Sports Channel, beIN SPORTS and NBA League Pass — the league’s live game subscription service — the release said. With these, the games will be available to fans in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe through TV, digital media and social media platforms.

The games are part of a groundbreaking multiyear partnership between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi that earlier this year launched the first Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, the release said. It will also include a number of interactive fan events with appearances by NBA players, NBA FIT Clinics and an NBA 2K League exhibition event at the Middle East Film and Comic-Con event.

With the partnership, DCT Abu Dhabi — the tourism promotion initiative of the UAE’s capital city — will also serve as the NBA's Official Tourism Destination partner throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and China, the release said.